W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company

Bouncing back┬áHurricane damage is a way of life for the southern states, but as Dan Bailey learns, they clean up and get on with it. In every generation there is at least one truly devastating hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico that creates enormous damage in the southern states. As a consequence, rebuilding their homes and civic amenities is nothing new to the people of Biloxi, Mississippi.  It happened in the 1960s with Hurricane Camille, after which rebuilding started at a slow, measured pace, but with the changing of gaming regulations in 1992, construction went into overdrive. Thus, when Hurricane Katrina arrived in August 2005, there were more buildings in its way.In that year, the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center was midway through the bidding process to expand facilities at what is claimed to be the largest beachfront facility of its kind in the South.┬á┬á Since opening its doors in 1997, it has brought Broadway theater, superstar entertainers, professional sports, rodeos, festivals, circuses, ice shows, pageants and many community service events to the local population. As well as Mardi Gras Balls, graduations, dance recitals and much more, it is also home to the Mississippi Sea Wolves professional hockey team.┬á When Katrina left her calling card in the form of six feet of water, it wasnÔÇÖt hockey players on the ice but jellyfish and countless tons of other marine debris. Within days, staff and volunteers had cleaned out the MCC, and it was providing shelter to local residents who had chosen not to leave the city.Not only did the MCC management then need to pursue its expansion plans, but it also had to award contracts for storm repairs and a complete renovation of the interior to sweeten the building after its dirty submersion. This work went largely to local contractors, while the expansion project was won by W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company of Philadelphia, Mississippi.Essentially, Phase II (as the expansion project is known) is adding 140,000 square feet, effectively doubling the available exhibition space and taking the total building area to almost 400,000 square feet. In order to open the buildingÔÇÖs usage to a wider audience, the new hall works on a large 60-foot by 60-foot grid and 60-foot spans. Main exhibitor access is via a 40-foot wide and 30-foot high modular door, capable of admitting substantial heavy industrial equipment.To reinforce the location of the MCCÔÇöjust across the road from the GulfÔÇöthe architects have adopted a wave theme for the buildingÔÇÖs design. Steel ribbon trusses over the lobby create a roof line that continually changes, resembling the movement of the ocean. The interior follows the same wave theme throughout, incorporating patterned epoxy terrazzo floors, while the corridor walls bell in and out to create the feeling of a swelling sea. The color scheme is very coastal as well, using blues, browns and tans.The project began in late August 2007, and the total contract for the expansion is $58 million. Officially scheduled to be open in November this year, current progress suggests it will be complete four months ahead of plan. In keeping with the regionÔÇÖs desire to help its own, as much of the subcontracting work as possible has been placed locally.Main contractor W.G. Yates & Sons has been in business for over 40 years. Among similar construction firms, it is unusual in its ability to self-perform most activities on a project, including electrical, mechanical, concrete, asphalt, steel, drywall, site work, masonry, carpentry and exterior finishes. ItÔÇÖs a strategy that allows more control over the schedule and cost of a project, while always providing the option of calling in outside subcontractors if the situation calls for it.As well as a broad range of skills, Yates is also at the forefront of sustainable construction, with LEED accredited professionals to be found in many of its regional offices and another 150 engineers in the process of pursuing accreditation. Yates has created a Sustainable Services Department that aims to have a LEED specialist involved in the preconstruction phase of each project to help minimize the ecological footprint of the work and reduce utility bills by significantly improving energy efficiency. The primary function of the department is to manage the design and construction where LEED targets are involved, to ensure the highest level of certification and therefore optimum lifecycle performance for the least cost. ÔÇô Editorial research by Mike Fretwell┬á